Two years ago today, Julia Gillard and Bob Brown signed a deal that gave the Greens unprecedented power in the Australian government – and gave us all the world’s biggest Carbon Tax.

The Labor-Greens’ partnership has been a disaster for Australia. Instead of the federal government providing certainty and steadiness, their unpredictability, dishonesty and new taxes have shredded confidence.

For two years, Labor and the Greens have gone after middle Australia – imposing the Carbon Tax, cutting the private health insurance rebate, slashing childcare rebates, and attacking superannuation. [Read more…]

Sherry retired from the Gillard ministry last December. He has been a Labor senator since 1990.

Under Section 15 of the Constitution, the Tasmanian parliament will appoint a replacement to the casual vacancy. It is obliged to appoint a member of the same party. The Tasmanian ALP will pre-select the new member.

Tasmanian Greens Senator Bob Brown is also expected to resign from the Senate in the next few weeks. His replacement will be Peter Whish-Wilson.

Brown’s comments came after several days of speculation about Gillard’s leadership, culminating in a Labor caucus meeting on Sunday and a BBQ at The Lodge, ahead of the return of Parliament tomorrow.

Listen to Bob Brown at his media conference this morning (20m)

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Later in the day, Prime Minister Gillard held a press conference and refused to be drawn on speculation about her leadership. She congratulated the Queen on her 60th anniversary as monarch, announced details of arrangements for Queensland flood victims, and emphasised the government’s economic program over the next eighteen months.

Listen to Julia Gillard’s press conference (23m)

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Thank you for your response to the Government’s further correspondence of 19 December 2011.

As you know, the Government has attempted three times to secure your agreement for discussions between Mr Bowen and Mr Morrison to examine opportunities to identify a mutually agreeable outcome on offshore processing. Those offers were made in good faith and clearly demonstrated the Government’s willingness to engage constructively with the Opposition on this matter. [Read more…]

The Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, has attacked Tony Abbott for refusing to work with the government to resolve the refugee issue in the light of this week’s drownings off Indonesia.

Bowen said he believed “the Australian people have had a gutful of the politicking”. He said: “Now we have the frankly bizarre situation that Labor and Liberal, Government and Opposition, agree that we need offshore processing. And yet we have a political impasse. Legislation to authorise offshore processing would fail in the Senate because the Liberal Party would not support it.”

Bowen released an exchange of letters between the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and the Opposition Leader. In one of them, Abbott says: “I don’t see much point in further private discussions between Mr Morrison and Mr Bowen.”

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Listen to Scott Morrison’s media conference – transcript below:

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Listen to Wayne Swan comment on Abbott’s reaction

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Listen to Greens leader Bob Brown comment

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Transcript of Immigration Minister Chris Bowen’s press conference.

Bowen: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

Well, Australians have witnessed another tragedy at sea. We’ve watched as men, women, children and babies have lost their life making the dangerous journey to Australia. The Government’s policy has been driven by the aim and the hope of avoiding these sorts of tragedies. We have been driven to pursue offshore processing to ensure that people don’t risk their life at sea.

And now we have the frankly bizarre situation that Labor and Liberal, Government and Opposition, agree that we need offshore processing. And yet we have a political impasse. Legislation to authorise offshore processing would fail in the Senate because the Liberal Party would not support it. [Read more…]

Today is the anniversary of the agreement between the independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott that delivered minority government to Julia Gillard in the aftermath of an inconclusive August 21 election.

Here’s the audio of what the main players said on September 7, 2010.

Bob Katter announces his decision to support the Coalition.

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Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott announce their support for the ALP. This includes the famous rambling 17-minute speech from Oakeshott.

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Greens leader Senator Bob Brown comments on the decision of the independents.

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Julia Gillard’s victory press conference.

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